Reclining-chair.



PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. G. FRANCIS.

RBCLINING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

swucmoz Georyefian all? w ll M n A witmwoeo No. 792,207. I PATENTED JUNE 18, 1905. G. FRANCIS.

REOLINING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

witnesses Q amvewtoz [7 l i Georyefiawzk a" I I I UNITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

. RECLlNlNG-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,207, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed July 25,1904. Serial No. 218,033.

To roll whom it iii/(1.7 concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANCIS. a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Clintonville, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reclining-Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of reclining chair which may be adjusted'either to a reclining or to a sitting position by the person occupy ing it.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a chairframe equipped with the improvements, the parts being in one of the sitting positions. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts in the same position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the parts in one of the reclined positions. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the parts in the same position.

1 designates the seat-frame, which is supported by the usual legs.

2 designates the frame of the back, which is hinged to the rear edge of the seat-frame.

3 designates a leg-rest hinged at its upper edge to the front edge of the seat-frame, and 4 a foot-rest frame hinged to the lower edge of the leg-rest.

The back-frame is furnished at the middle of its lower edge with an arm 2, to the free end of which is hinged a toothed bar 5, supported at its front end to move horizontally under the seat-frame by means of a curved forward extension 5, running over a roller 6, carried by a bracket 6, secured to the front portion of the seat-frame. Below the extension 5 is a second extension 5 on the bar 5, to which is hinged one end of a link 7, said link being hinged at its other end to the rear side of the leg-rest. Thus it will be observed that the leg-rest is positively raised by the lowering of the back and positively lowered by the raising of the back.

The hinged frame of the foot-rest has a rearward extension 4?, to which is hinged one end of a rod 8, while the other end of the rod is conveniently pivoted on a pin 6", projecting from the side of the bracket 6.

9 designates a pawl to engage the teeth of the bar 5. This is formed on an angular bar having one end of one arm pivoted on the pin 6 in the bracket 6 and the other arm extended to the side of the chair, where it is provided with a finger-piece adapted to be manipulated by the occupant of the chair. This pawl normally rests by gravity in one of the notches between the teeth on the bar 5. The rear teeth on the bar are shown to be of the ratchet variety, with their points pointing toward the front of the chair, while the forward teeth are shown to be of the square-end variety. This arrangement of teeth permits the back to be raised and foot-rest lowered to the positions of normal and ordinary use by pressure on the foot-rest alone, the pawl slipping over the inclined teeth when such pressure is applied, but compelling a positive lifting of the pawl to shift the back to a position more erect than the normal. The reason for this construction is that it is desirable that the back be limited in its automatic rising movement to stop at the normal position; otherwise it is likely to be thrown by momentum beyond that position to the inconvenience and discomfort of the user. The hook shown to be provided at the forward end of the extension 5 will fix the extreme limit of the erect position of the back.- It will be observed that the hinged connection of the bar 5 with the arm 2* passes through an are having for its center the hinged connection of the back-frame with the seat and that this depresses the rear end of the bar 5. To compensate for this depression of the rear end of the bar 5, the forward extension 5 is downwardly curved, so that as said bar 5 is carried rearward the teeth are held raised and in position to be properly engaged by the pawl.

From the construction shown it will also be observed that the back is raised by pressure on the foot-rest and that the foot-rest is raised by pressure on the back and, further. that the position of the foot-rest, because it is hinged and connected with the under structure of the chair, is held in a substantially horizontal position whether the leg-rest is in the reclining or sitting position of the chair.

I do not confine myself to the precise forms of the parts shown, and where I use characters of reference in my claims I do so merely for the purpose of facilitating the location of the parts mentioned.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a reclining-chair, the combination with the seat thereof, of a back and a leg-resthinged thereto, a bar, 5, hinged to the back and supported under the seat at its forward end, a link, 7, connecting the forward end of the bar 5 and the leg-rest, a foot-rest frame hinged to the leg-rest and having a rearward extension, and a hinged bar, 8, connecting the said rearward extension of the foot-rest frame and a stationary part of the chair.

2. In a reclining-chair the combination with the seat thereof, of a back and a leg-rest hinged thereto, a toothed bar, 5, hinged to the back and supported under the seat at its forward end, a link, 7, connecting the forward end of the bar 5 and the leg-rest, a foot-rest frame hinged to the leg-rest and having a rearward extension, a hinged bar, 8, connecting the said rearward extension of the foot-rest frame and a stationary part of the chair, and a latching device to engage the toothed bar 9 to hold the parts in the position to which they are adjusted.

3. In a reclining-chair,the combination with the seat thereof, of a back and a leg-rest hinged thereto, a bar 5 having a curved forward extension 5, said bar being hinged at its rear end to the back and supported at the curved extension under the seat, a link, 7, connecting the forward portion of the bar 5 and the leg-rest, a foot-rest frame hinged to the legrest and having a rearward extension, and a hinged bar, 8, connecting the said rearward extension of the foot-rest frame and a stationary part of the chair.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE FRANCIS.

\Vitnesses:

BENJ. FINOKEL, GEORGE M. FINCKEL. 

